It’s
been almost five months, yet the Coronavirus still lurks among us. We’re getting
used to living with a low level of anxiety. Will my family be safe and
well? Will I have a job next week? We have no way of knowing, no
sense of what tomorrow looks like. We all have a litany of negatives,
especially masks and social distancing. Somehow, though, as we begin to emerge
from certain restrictions, many of us are suddenly realizing the silver linings
in the heavy COVID-19 clouds. Here are a few items on a list of lessons learned
and aspects to be grateful for during this pandemic. Please share your own list
with
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1) Now that
everyone’s been home for four months, we’ve been able to bond with family
members in deeper ways. Adult children are back from yeshiva and college, and
families feel whole in a new way; some are (secretly) reluctant to give up this
precious togetherness. (I know, some
can’t wait to give up the togetherness,
but we’re focused on the positive right now!)
2) We now know how
resilient we truly are: Think of all the people who made Pesach for the first
time.
3) We became more
daring, learning from YouTube how to unclog a sink or give a somewhat passable
haircut. We discovered that we can work productively from home, learned to use
Zoom like the experts, and discovered how few articles of clothing and jewelry
we actually need.
4) We’ve learned
how to think out of the box as we try to stay connected and help others cope.
Shuls, local organizations, our own Associated and Ahavas Yisrael have become
innovative in supporting the newly unemployed, helping families with basic
needs, and taking care of seniors with Shabbos packages and other services.
SHEMESH, for example, was able to redirect funds from professional development
that can’t be implemented during COVID to helping children catch up with their
reading skills. (Many thanks to the Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family, whose
directors recognized the vital importance of supporting children’s development
over the summer.)
5) Slowly, as
we’ve pulled out of the rat race, we are becoming human beings instead of human
doings. Forced to stay home, we are learning that life is so much more than
running from one errand or commitment to the next. We’ve rediscovered and
deepened relationships. We have time to think, learn, read – to get back in
touch with ourselves and remember why we are here in this world.
6) As we shop
less, we often use the money saved to increase our tzedaka giving. We have more time to listen to shiurim, now available in daily abundance. It seems we’re getting
back to the things that matter, such as chesed
at home and beyond, careful speech, and a new ability to daven: slowly and with
greater concentration. Since we don’t have to think about traffic and timing
the red lights, we can look more closely at the words we say each day and take
them to heart. Back to basics means there are fewer “shoulds” in our lives.
7) People are
mentioning a new-found appreciation for the extraordinary community we are
fortunate to live in, gratitude compounded by the comments from individuals in
other cities that just don’t have the services and caring that we have.
*
* *
We
all know – at least we think we know
– that this pandemic won’t last forever, even though it may feel like it. We can’t do
anything about it beyond following doctors’ instructions. All we can do is put
one foot in front of the other and take life one day at a time. Let’s
hope we can maintain our hold on the lessons we’ve learned and the skills we’ve
acquired over these interminable months: Hashem is in charge. He is there for us,
and that’s what really counts. We need to rely upon Him with absolute
trust and with determination to live our lives the way He wants us to, instead
of the way society says we must. Let’s not let this pandemic pass into the
history books with no mention of the major positive impact it has had on our
national consciousness.
